A typical economic potter tool for cutting clay consists of a wire, with rings attached to both ends of the wire. The user slides one of the rings over a finger of each hand, thereby holding the wire. Holding the wire in this manner allows the user to pull or push the wire through a block of clay, cutting the block into segments. Cutting the clay in this manner makes it difficult to cut the segment into equal widths throughout. Also, it is difficult to cut the block into consistent, uniform segments. Further, repetitious use of the cutting wire and rings creates a strain on the user's wrists.
Other tools for cutting a desired material provide for a means to cut a plurality of uniform consistent segments from a larger block. For example, Whisnant U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,993 discloses a clay cutter with a plurality of cutting wires that are held in position, an equal distance from each other and attached to an arbor. By applying an even, direct, downward force to the arbor the Whisnant clay cutter simultaneously cuts a plurality of segments of clay. The Whisnant cutter does not have a handle and requires two hands to operate. Further, the required direct force to the arbor creates a strain on the user's wrists. Therefore, a need exists for a clay cutter that requires the use of only one hand to cut a block of clay into equal predetermined segments with reduced strain to the user's wrist.
The Devine U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,824 discloses a food slicer with a handle integrally connected to the arbor. The arbor has a guide that is slidably attached between the arbor. The guide may be adjusted, however, a bolt must be rotated to slidably move the guide. The distance the guide moves is proportional to the number of revolutions of the bolt. Moving the guide in this manner requires a greater amount of time, reducing the efficiency of repetitious cuts of varying width's. Therefore, a need exists for a clay cutter having a quickly positionable guide.
The present known cutting tools, that have arbors with handles, all have the handle integral with the arbor. See for example Devine U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,824, and Fitzgerald U.S. Pat. No. 1,939,283. When employing a cutting tool of this type to cut a desired material, the user applies a linear force to the handle in the direction the user wants the cutting wire to move. When the cutting wire contacts a surface, a torque results in the direction opposite the linear force. The resultant torque causes the cutting tool to rotate away from the surface. The position on the handle where the linear force is being applied becomes the pivot point of rotation. To keep the cutting tool from rotating around the pivot point, the user's wrist must supply an equal but opposite torque. The resultant torque is reduced by decreasing the distance between the pivot point and the point where the cutting wire contacts the surface. This reduction in resulting torque decreases the users risks of carpal tunnel damage resulting from the repetitive cutting of clay segments. Therefore, a need exists for a cutting tool that reduces the amount of torque required to keep the cutting tool from rotating around the pivot point.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages and meets the present needs by providing a cutting tool that only requires one hand for proper use. The invention also has a handle attached such that the torque against the wrist is reduced. The present clay cutter also has a guide means that can be repositioned quickly and efficiently without the need to manipulate a threaded adjustment.